The Puzzle, the Ring, and the Ankh
by AmeliaBaggins
Summary: A year after Battle City, Serenity returns to stay with Joey and go to Domino High, along the way she finds out about Yugi and his Millienium Item.  Can Serenity find true love? Or will The Pharoh's nemesis get to them first? ON HIATUS AWHILE!
1. The train and cleaning

**Hey everyone! **

Serenity bit her lip and stared out the window , she was headed back to Domino City to stay with her brother and go to the same school as him. Yugi and Tea were going to meet her at the train station because Joey had work and wouldn't be able to pick her up.

She remembered the last time she had come to Domino City with Tristan, that had been a year ago. She had kept in touch with Joey through phone and email, and the occasional phone call from Tristan or Duke.

A mechanical voice came through the speakers, "Now entering Domino City." Serenity grabbed her carryon bag and waited for the train to stop. She ran a hand nervously through her auburn hair, and mentally chastised herself for being so nervous.

The moment that the train stopped moving, Serenity hopped off, looking around for Yugi's tri-colored hair. It didn't take long for her find him or Tea, due to the fact that Yugi was hopping up and down and waving at her frantically.

Serenity smiled and hurried over to them, "Hey you guys." She said warmly, hugging Tea and giving a one-armed hug to Yugi. Tea grinned, "So how was your summer?" she asked. Serenity sighed, "It was awful, mom's been dating some creep. I can't tell you how relieved I was to get Joey's offer to attend the same school as you guys."

Tea chuckled and Yugi beamed, "Well we're happy to have you join us." He said. "Is that all your stuff?" asked Tea. "Well, all my other stuff is being shipped, but it should be here in two days." Serenity replied.

"Well that's a relief, if you had had heavy stuff that would have been a disaster for Yugi." Tea teased, Yugi rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Tea, causing both Serenity and Tea to giggle. "Anyway my car's outside, so if you want to head on out we can."

Serenity laughed, "Sure why not?" And with that she headed outside with her friends not noticing the tall white haired man who stood in the shadows , watching them go with a little smile on his face.

_(at Joey's apartment)_

"Well here we are." Tea said gesturing around Joey's small apartment. Serenity stared at the mess that surrounded them in horror. "Does it always look like this?" she asked eyeing the empty pizza boxes and the tangled mass of clothes that surrounded them.

Tea bit her lip, "Sometimes its worse." She admitted looking down at Yugi who had a sheepish expression on his face. "Yeah I mean I think he was planning on cleaning up, but I don't think that worked." Yugi said with a grin.

Serenity laughed, "Guess that means I should clean this place up." She headed over to the kitchenette and placed her carryall bag down on a fairly clean area. "I'll help out." Said Yugi from behind her.

Serenity smiled and turned around , "Ok but only if you want too." She looked over at Tea who grinned at her, "I'd totally help out, except I have a dance class that starts in fifteen minutes. Good luck guys." And with that Tea slipped out the door and was gone.

Serenity smiled, "I kinda don't blame her for leaving so fast." She joked, Yugi laughed "If the living room's this bad, I'm afraid to see what Joey's room looks like." Serenity groaned, and started looking through drawers to find trash bags.

She finally found an unused box of them, and set out to clear everything that was an empty container of food. Yugi meanwhile was sorting Joey's clothes and straightening the pillow's on the couch.

She smiled, "Thanks a lot Yugi, I'll treat you to ice cream later." Yugi smiled at her, "That sounds great, I look forward to it." She tried not to smile like an idiot, as they cleared up the rest of the living room.

By the time they were finished, two trash bags had been filled and a mound of Joey's clothes had been sorted. Serenity headed for one of the three doors and pulled it open at random, it was an empty bedroom.

She smiled knowing that she was looking at her bedroom, then shut it and headed for door number 2. As soon as she opened it a noxious smell hit her causing Serenity to double over clutching her nose.

She shut the door as fast she could, Yugi who had noticed her reaction headed over to see what was wrong when a whiff of the scent reached him. "Oh man, what is that smell?" he groaned in disgust. He waved a hand in front of his face to clear the air.

"That was the bathroom." Serenity said her face getting slightly green. "I think I'm going to need a gas mask before I go in there." She said only half-teasing. Yugi grimaced in sympathy , "Well seeing as how there's only one door left let's look at Joey's."

He suggested. Serenity nodded in agreement looking relieved. Joey's room was even worse than the living room, if that was possible. Serenity took one half of the room and Yugi took the other, even with Yugi helping her it still took them an hour to clean it.

Serenity smiled as she took in the welcome sight of the clean room, then looked down at Yugi who was also smiling. "I bet Joey will be shocked when he sees this room." Yugi said warmly. Serenity chuckled, "I can hear him now, What happened to my room? What happened to that slice of pizza I was looking forward too?" Serenity said imitating her brother's thick Brooklyn accent.

Yugi snorted, "I can hear him saying that." He muttered. That was when they heard the door bang open, "Hey Serenity you home-what happened to the living room?" Serenity and Yugi laughed, then headed out to where Joey was looking at the living room in astonishment.

"Hey Joey." Yugi said brightly, Joey jumped and turned around "Yug what are ya doin' here?" he asked bluntly . Serenity spoke up from behind Yugi, "He helped me clean up this place." Joey scratched his head, "I hope you don't mind me asking sis but uh what was wrong with it before?"

Serenity smiled, "It looked terrible, your room was worse." She added. "My room? What did you do to my room?" asked Joey anxiously. Then before she could answer he hurried past them to his room.

Serenity and Yugi watched in amusement as Joey opened his door, "My room! What happened to that pizza I was looking forward too?" both Yugi and Serenity laughed at that. "So Yugi, do you still want that ice-cream?" Serenity asked.

**I know you guys are going to hate me, but what did you think about that chapter?**


	2. Talking with Yugi and Yami

Serenity snuck glances over at Yugi every now and then, she had been pleased that Joey had let her go with Yugi alone. When she had first met Yugi she had been impressed to learn that he had given Joey the money that had paid for her operation.

She had never thanked him for that and had always hated that fact, "Uh Yugi, I just want to say thank you for everything. I mean if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be able to see right now on top of that you helped me clean Joey's apartment." She glanced over at him nervous and apprehensive but Yugi was giving her his undivided attention.

Yugi smiled, "Well it was my pleasure to help you and your brother out any way I could, and your brother earned that money in my opinion anyway." Serenity grinned relieved that he hadn't been condescending to her, "I'm sorry I never said thank you when I first met you, it's something that's really been eating at me for the past year. Can you forgive me?"

Yugi looked downright surprised but a small smile hovered around his lips, "You are forgiven." He said mock formally causing Serenity to giggle. They continued their small talk until they reached a small ice-cream shop and got some sunday's.

On their way back they found a park bench to sit on and proceeded to regale each other with childhood memories of similar activities. "I remember when I was five or was it six? But Joey had been saving up money for the past month just so he could treat me with some ice-cream. When we got back it was to find my dad had come home drunk, he got really mad when he saw how happy we were and yelled at us." Serenity bowed her head and stared at her empty sunday cup and sighed, "He punched me and was about to hit me again when Joey intervened, he took the punch that was supposed to hit me. I remember yelling at my dad, something I never did and then I slapped him and it was almost as if realized what he had just done and then he grabbed his coat and left. My mom separated me from Joey the next day and I never really saw him again except for the occasional phone call."

A few tears escaped her eyes and she half-heartedly wiped them away. "I'm sorry Yugi, I didn't mean to ruin everything it's just I don't know how Joey survived with that creep for a dad for so long. I mean I got away scot free compared to him."

Yugi was slowly absorbing this new information and was surprised to find that his respect for Joey had gone up a few notches. His other half appeared next to him in spirit form _Yugi perhaps we could tell her about the Millienium Puzzle._

Yugi stared at him in shock, _Are you sure Yami? _Yami nodded then added _I can help explain the harder parts_ Yugi slowly faded back into reality and twisted to look over at Serenity, his thoughts were in a jumble but on this he and his other half were united.

"Uh, Serenity did your brother ever tell you about the puzzle I'm wearing?" Yugi asked nervously, his hands clasped the Millenium Puzzle tightly. Serenity looked surprised at his abrupt question but shook her head, "No, he never really mentioned it."

Yugi sighed and then looked her in the eye, "About eight years ago my grandpa gave me the pieces to this puzzle and gave me a challenge to finish it. No one has ever been able to solve the secret to the Millenium Puzzle until one night I finally finished it. That was the night Yami became a part of me, you see there are seven Millienium items and this puzzle was one of them, and inside it houses an ancient spirit In fact I think he wants to talk to you."

And without further ado there was a flash of golden light and there sitting in Yugi's place was an older looking more assertive version of Yugi. When he looked at her, Serenity felt a shiver of anticipation for what she didn't know.

At first they just studied each other in silence and then Yami spoke, "I assume you have many questions?" Serenity shivered, his voice matched his older counterpart and she was pleased to learn that his voice was a rich deep sound that she instantly enjoyed.

"Just a few, how exactly did your spirit survive inside the Puzzle without escaping?" she blurted out and then bit her bottom lip embarrassed _man he must think I'm stupid I mean what kind of a dumb question was that?_ She thought.

Instead of looking annoyed however Yami looked thoughtful, "I am not entirely certain, all I remember of life before becoming Yugi's protector was being able to observe people working on the puzzle. I never directly communicated with any of them until Yugi finished it."

Serenity nodded also thoughtful, "What exactly do you do to protect Yugi?" Yami's eyes darkened and it was here that Serenity noticed another difference, Yami's eyes were shaped differently. Serenity jolted when he spoke, "Whatever it takes."

She blushed and looked down, biting her lip feeling confused about the feelings that Yami stirred in her. While her head was down there was another flash of golden light and when Serenity looked back up in confusion there was Yugi smiling at her sheepishly.

"So does the whole switcheroo thing happen automatically?" she asked bluntly, at this Yugi frowned and shook his head, "No I have to willingly let him use my body, although if he really wanted too he could just take control if he wanted too." Serenity raised an eyebrow and nodded not pressing the subject.

She pursed her lips in thought, "Does it hurt?" she blurted and then blushed when she realized that she had spoken out loud. Yugi looked more amused than anything else but shook his head, "No it's a little disorienting at first but then I get used to being corporeal." Serenity nodded feeling relieved and then smiled at him.

"Wow." She whispered and then stood up, "I think I need to sleep over this and when tomorrow comes we'll face it together as friends." For some weird reason she felt like Tea when she said that last part.

**Well hope you liked and please review!**


End file.
